The Texas Blue: News
Outside the NORM
Tue, 11/13/2007 - 11:25am
One of the arguments Republicans like to levy against the Democratic Party is that the Democratic Party likes regulation, which makes it so, so hard for businesses to operate. I would like to offer the following as evidence that self-regulation doesn't work: Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or NORM, is a highly toxic by-product of gas and oil drilling. The Texas Railroad Commission allows oil companies to deal with that waste and the decontamination process via self-regulation. You can guess how they usually choose to handle it.
Daily News Roundup, 11/13/07: Perry Campaigns In Iowa
Tue, 11/13/2007 - 8:00am
Governor Rick Perry seems to have forgotten a cardinal rule of politics — if you're explaining, you're losing — as he has begun justifying his endorsement of Rudy Giuliani. This is different than the usual litany of reasons one pol gives for throwing his weight in with another, because it is distinctively red meat, and should come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Giuliani's policies: Perry says Giuliani will overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Veterans Should Not Have to Battle the Homefront for Honor
Mon, 11/12/2007 - 5:30pm
Some of our most jingoistic elected officials are leaving American veterans behind to fend for their own rights.
Sorry Folks, Education Is About Money
By Chris Bell
Mon, 11/12/2007 - 11:00am
There’s a great scene in “Night at the Museum” when Ben Stiller is trying to get the North and South to stop fighting the Civil War every night. He goes ahead and tells the North that they win and, as for the South, “You all get the Allman Brothers and NASCAR.”
While clearly intended for laughs, the South’s legacy really might be rather dismal if we don’t change our attitude toward education.
Daily News Roundup, 11/12/07: What Privacy Means
Mon, 11/12/2007 - 8:00am
Today we have a tale of two takes on privacy, divergent in scope and application. First is Governor Rick Perry, who has a strict office policy that all email communications in or out of his office are destroyed after 7 days. The other is a senior official in the national intelligence directorate, who has a message for you: get used to a different definition of privacy.
On The Record: John Hardwick
Sun, 11/11/2007 - 12:00pm
For this episode of On The Record, we speak with John Hardwick, County Chair for the Callahan County Democratic Party.
Texas Blue Mailbag: Week of 11/4/2007
Fri, 11/09/2007 - 6:21pm
This week's mailbag features some ponderings about the State Department's forced diplomatic deployment to Iraq and Dennis Kucinich's pocket impeachment filings.
Even More GOP Retirements
Fri, 11/09/2007 - 4:31pm
I wasn't sure it was possible, but the Republican Party will have to do without two more incumbents. Reps Jim Saxton from New Jersey and Barbara Cubin from Wyoming are on the way out.
Rice's Diplomatic Defenestration
By Lee Knox
Fri, 11/09/2007 - 3:26pm
So, the sanctions against Iran have made the newsrounds by now. Clearly the Bush administration has decided to make another bad decision unilaterally because nobody wants to play with us.
Fort Bend County GOP Explodes
Fri, 11/09/2007 - 1:16pm
Via the news, Burnt Orange, and Bay Area Houston comes word that the leadership corps of the Fort Bend Republican Party has resigned. I knew the infighting was bad, but I didn't think it would happen like this in Tom DeLay's backyard.